IDG Contributor Network: The triumphant and woefully short-sighted return of ad-supported gadgets

I’m old enough to remember the dark days of the computer industry.

No, not when someone figured out how to spam you for the first time or sold those weird knock-off Macs. For what seems like about a week, companies sold “ad supported” computers that provided access to the Internet and apps as long as you put up with some banner ads. (If you happen to remember the brands for these computers, post in comments.)

Those dark days, like many “innovations” in technology, have now returned. Amazon has decided to sell subsidized phones with an ad that shows up in the lock screen, similar to what you’ll see on a Kindle Fire. For Prime members, the Motorola Moto G costs $150 and the BLU R1 HD costs $50; they will be available on July 12. There’s no way to remove the Amazon app that loads the ads, although I will give this about 14 minutes before someone does just that. Essentially, by agreeing to the ads, you also agree to being a Guinea Pig.

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